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Last night was a good pole class, despite the pain in my wrist. I learned to get into the bow and arrow from the cross ankle release, and let me tell you, it takes some major lady balls and some secure shorts. I’m not sure how I’m going to explain this, but lets try!

This is the cross ankle release.

From here you have to grab under your butt and hold on for dear life.

You then let yourself drop down with straight arms, which your shorts get stuck on your thumb sometimes and pull your shorts down with them.

And hook a foot onto the pole to wind up in this position.

It’s terrifying! Sometimes I have the lady balls for the cross ankle release, and sometimes I don’t. I’m not sure why, just some days I feel like I don’t have the stick for it.

I practiced my superman last night, again I wound up with bruises galore and sore inner thighs but I nearly got it! Once I have it down I’ll stick up a picture of it, because around the end of last year that was definitely a goal move, now I have bigger goals because I like to get ahead of myself!

It’s video day tomorrow, I’ll try not to embarrass myself as much this time. It’s also #FrontSplitsFriday! I’m looking forward to comparing last weeks with this weeks. And next Friday we’ll be comparing the first week with the 4th week to see the real progression!

Sorry about another short post today but my lovely daughter has gymnastics and I have to rush off to that now! But how about to make it up to you guys I leave you with a delicious recipe page full of delicious gluten free recipes!

Click the picture below to go there! Don’t be shy!

And keep an eye out tomorrow for a special valentines day post! Love is in the air mes amours!

Good morrow! I apologize for no post yesterday; I’ve been feeling quite ill lately. Just before Christmas, that’s my luck! Today will be a short post as well because of the same reason. Really I just wanted to get on here so I could wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays because for obvious reasons I won’t be putting up a post tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I will be up super early, not because of my daughter but because Bell (a tv/phone/internet provider here in Canada) has decided that they are going to pull my love into work on Christmas day. How Scrooge-ish! I was pretty upset, I mean like everything is closed on Christmas, with the exception to places that need to be open, like hospitals and the buses, but really does bell have to be, do people need internet installed that badly that they can’t wait a day. I guess it’s important for people to have their phones, in case of emergency, but still, I feel like they could have looked for volunteers and then if they didn’t have enough start to assign people. Because there are people who don’t celebrate Christmas, or don’t have family to do anything with, and you get paid time and a half on that day, I’m sure they’d be willing to work for the extra money.

Anyways, that’s enough complaining from me! We still get to have some time in the morning because we’ll be waking up early. I’m excited to see that wide eyed joyful look on my daughters face when she sees the presents from Santa, such a magical time. This year all my Christmas money is going towards my pole-tuition for January, money well spent!

Before I leave you, I’m going to give those of you with kids, or even those of you who just like treats, a recipe to do with the children! Santa cookies!

Peanut butter Blossoms

Recipe and photo from parade.com

INGREDIENTS

1 cup shortening

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

3½ cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ cup white sugar (for decoration)

2 (9-oz) bags milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Mix in milk and vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the peanut butter mixture until well blended.

Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to12 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie. Allow to cool completely; the kiss will harden as it cools.

Now this makes about 80 cookies, and lets face it, Santa doesn’t need 80 cookies. But the reason I like this recipe is because I also get to bring some to the Christmas party, or give as gifts!

As the end of the year quickly approaches I can’t help but reflect on the year that has passed. I’ve accomplished a lot this year; it’s been a good year. I’ve learned a lot of new things, I’ve also learned to let go of things that make me miserable. I also look over the things I’ve accomplished in pole that I literally never thought I’d be able to do and it makes me feel like a super hero that can do anything!

One thing that I was certain I was never going to be able to do was the shoulder mount. I first saw my home studio at Sexapalooza, a convention that goes on all over Canada (really fun convention). When I saw this girl preform the shoulder mount I was in awe. I didn’t understand how she could have that much strength to flip her body upside down while standing with her back to the pole. I was amazed and so when I started pole again in level 1 it was a faraway dream. It hasn’t even been a year and I’ve now managed to preform that move, and this was really special for me. It was also a big turning point for me because it made me realize that I can do this, now when I watch pole videos it’s “I can’t wait to do that” not “I wish I could do that”.

Another move that I was incredibly proud of getting was the Gemini and Scorpio. They always looked so beautiful and elegant, something I was dying to do. So when we finally learned it in lvl 5 I was ecstatic, and scared. I’m not going to lie, to let go like that is kind of scary, and I’ve never had to do a move that required side stick.

Things I’d like to work on? My floor work and transitions! I love the physical side of pole fitness but I also enjoy the sexy side. My floor work is definitely something I want to work on. I recently saw a post on http://poleitical.com about a show that goes on called Girl Next Door Show – a Pole Dancing Soiree, and I was amazed by the videos. One pole dancer in particular caught my attention, her stage name is Shimmy. I’ve posted her video below because it’s just so well done, if I were to dance like any one someday it would be her. I love the balance she has between sexy and strength, it works perfectly together.

Some of my goal moves for the future? The superman definitely! I love that move, not just because I’m a huge nerd but because it’s just such an impressive move that you have to transition to get into, which makes it that much more impressive.

In conclusion, 2013 has been a really good year, and I can only hope 2014 brings even better things.

Every Poler has heard it, “oh you pole dance? What are you, a stripper?” Or “Pole dancing? That’s sexy” And while yes, it can be sexy, it’s usually definitely not for the perv making that comment. It’s time to educate them! Sure pole fitness can be sexy, but it’s not to everyone, to some it’s about pushing your body to its physical limit, and that’s perfectly fine too! What really irks me is when people belittle the sport just because woman spin around a pole for money sometimes (and lets face it, sometimes the pole is there for grinding, they don’t even spin). So as a pole fitness enthusiast I consistently find myself having to defend myself which really shouldn’t happen, but it does. Here’s how I educate them!

Pole fitness takes an incredible amount of physical strength to be able to lift your own body weight! It utilizes your core muscles which improves posture, coordination, balance and flexibility, and can eliminate back pain. You build and tone muscles (quadriceps are used to grip the pole and triceps are used when you’re hanging in midair on the pole). Climbing a pole is harder and more effective than bicep curls!

At an advanced level of Pole Fitness you can burn up to 800 calories in an hour, at a regular level you can burn 250 or more in just one session. It’s an incredible mix of endurance, flexibility, strength training and cardio (especially if your studio includes routines!)

Unlike regular fitness classes which can include dozens of people and one teacher, pole fitness usually only has 3-10 people which allows the instructor to give you a lot more of her time, making it a very personal class in which you learn more. You build close friendships with the girls in your class, I love my pole friends, we cheer each other on and it’s such a positive environment.

You gain a feeling of accomplishment! When you perform moves that are very much like gymnastics you feel like you could win a gold medal. Honestly that will be an amazing day when the Olympics recognizes Pole Fitness as a legitimate competitive sport. When I look back at where I was, barely being able to do a push up 8 months ago, to now , where I can hold myself onto a pole with NO hands, I am incredibly proud of just how far I’ve come!

Lastly, but there are definitely many more, the confidence booster that pole provides is amazing. You just feel so good when you get that move down, or when you hear your friends cheering you on. When you’re spinning around that pole and you forget about the world and it’s problems because you’re just having too much fun. Maybe it’s the endorphin’s released from exercising but either way you feel great when you are pole dancing, you feel strong and powerful. It’s an obsession, it’s a passion and no body and their stupid “stripper” comments can ever take that away.

So the next time someone makes a pervy comment, or tries to belittle this wonderful sport, you look right at them and whip out all these wonderful points about pole fitness, and challenge them to hold themselves up on their wrist alone in the wrist seat!

So it’s that wonderful time of the year! The time of family and friends, sitting around the fireplace laughing, and of course gift giving. Personally I’m not big on receiving expensive gifts, as many people, I’d be happy with just some baked deliciousness. I do however love to give gifts! I love making gifts, I love buying gifts (I love shopping, even Christmas shopping). So how about that pole dancer in your life? What on earth can you get her? Well here’s my list of top 10 gifts for a pole dancer!

10. Pole Cleaner & Cloth

An inexpensive gift that can easily be personalized, a great make it yourself gift! Pole cleaner is really just rubbing alcohol, it helps with stick and gives your pole a nice shine. We clean our poles consistently, especially when were using them. Go out and find a microfiber cloth (pink is always preferable, or perhaps purple! Find out your polers favorite color). Get a neat bottle, doesn’t have to be black, maybe there’s a white one and you can decorate it with different paints or stickers. Or I’m sure because it’s around Christmas time, you could even find a Christmas themed bottle!

9. Wrist Bands

These are the wristbands from my home studio, 3sixty dance and fitness! These helped my wrists immensely when I was having problems with them while on the pole. I didn’t think they would help much but honestly my wrists haven’t hurt since, I can’t tell you why, it might just add that little bit of support I needed while building the muscles. Also helps a lot when trying to avoid pole burn on your wrists!

8. Leg Warmers

fashion_catch on Ebay.com

Not only fashionable but great if you’re living in Canada! Even in the winter my pole studio has its air on, because lets face it, even in the middle of winter when you start your spinning you’re getting hot. But when you first get there, it’s freezing! So these are perfect as a Christmas gift.

7. Alethea Austin’s Sexy Fundamentals and Floorwork DVD

Floor work is a very important part of pole dancing, it’s a sexy transition that splits up your routine. Not everyone is naturally talented at it though, and so this DVD is a great Christmas gift to help that poler in your life get her floor work down. It’s actually the only DVD I know of that covers floor work. If you know of others, let me know in the comments below!

6. Spa Day

MassageTLC.com

It’s self explanatory! There’s no secret here, after a night of hitting the pole hard it feels like your muscles have been beaten to a pulp. Walking down stairs is the biggest feat of the day, sitting is even painful. We’ve all been there, where we’ve pushed ourselves too far. A spa day is our answer, a gift certificate to a local spa would be a perfect Christmas gift for that poler in your life!

5. Dewpoint

I have praised this product before in my post HERE . It is literally a life saver in Canada which is why its up here on the list. I don’t think I’d be able to preform a single thing if it weren’t for this miracle worker. Available on Amazon.com for Americans and Ebay for anybody, this is probably one of the most used items I have in my pole bag. So if it’s winter and you live in a cold climate, get the ultra formula of this stuff because you will have no regrets!

4. Gym Bag

The reason this is so high on the list is because it’s from one of my favorite artists, Leen Isabel. She does the pole dancing adventure comics, and this is definitely one thing I’d love to own. I love showing people the pride I have in pole dancing, I’m not ashamed of it at all because I understand the incredible strength and dedication it takes to do it. And those who think otherwise, who call me a stripper, well I educate them and dare them to try and lift their own body weight in gravity defying moves!

3. Pole Attire

Pole dancing clothes! I love shopping, I love online shopping, and I love shopping for clothes so I am consistently keeping an eye out for clothes that would make good clothes for a pole photo shoot. The rope like clothing is the best because it looks sexy but still allows you to have the grip necessary to preform moves. There are tons of sites that cater to pole dancers so go put a wish list together girls!

2. Pole Membership

One of the only things I dislike about pole is the fact it’s such an expensive obsession, I mean, hobby. Don’t get me wrong, it’s completely worth it, pole makes me very happy but debt makes me unhappy, so this would be one of the best Christmas gifts you could get a poler. But like I said it’s expensive, so if you can’t dish out the cash, giving a poler a little bit of money towards her pole-tuition is something she would be completely grateful for (or he, I do know some male pole dancers)

1. SHOES

Pleaser Shoes & Boots

So normally I would put the membership at number one but I’m in love with shoes, so shoes came first. There are so many sites with great shoes, including Pleaser Shoes & Boots! Which is a great site for ordering in bulk because it’s wholesale, so get some pole girls together and order, or you know, if you’re a shoe-holic like myself, an entire order for yourself! But there are plenty of other sites that sell excellent pole shoes, or (usually) a local sex shop sells these sexy boots.

So that’s my top 10 list of Christmas gifts perfect for a pole dancer/fitness enthusiast! If anyone wants to get me anything off the list, I won’t fight it! I normally don’t like receiving gifts but I’ll make an exception for some of these! Of course I’m joking… or am I… Anyways enjoy your day, I know I will, it’s pole day! Which means to my home studio tonight! Until tomorrow my loves!

I’ve submitted this blog post to the Pole Dance Bloggers December Blog hop! Click below to see other fantastic pole blogs!

Absolutely one of the most frustrating things in the the world is when you just can’t grip the pole, no matter how much grip you use. This was me last night, no matter how much dewpoint I put on, no matter how much dry grip I used on my hands, nothing was going to help me stick. Well not to the degree I needed, I have an idea for a picture I want to do but it requires the superman, which I don’t know how to do, so I was attempting to teach myself. It was so very frustrating so I eventually gave up and will try again tonight.

Good news everybody (if you said that in professor Farnsworths voice, you get extra points) yesterday was my weigh in after one week of clean eating and it did my body good, I shed 3-4 pounds in just that week. I’ve also been drinking around 64 oz of water a day, which is what you’re supposed to but I seriously lacked in that category. But I’m proud of myself, I cheated very little last week, I mean like I did have a bowl of candy cane ice cream and maybe some gold fish, but other than that I’ve done really well and it shows, my bloating has gone down too.

I’ve always read that one of the best things you can do when trying to lose weight is to keep track of what you eat. A lot of people don’t realize how much and exactly what they are eating.

Snacking is done without thought, can you say that you remember everything you ate yesterday? A handful of that, a pinch of that, just a little taste of what ever? If you can remember every little thing, kudos to you, you have a better memory than me, but that’s really not that hard to do.

Point is you’re much more aware of what you’re eating if you have to write it down, and for someone who’s disorganized, it’s really a life saver.

The journal is pretty awesome as well. Lovely illustrations and spirit lifting quotes. Not only that but I’m doing this at the same time as thousands of other people and it’s like having a massive support group. I post delicious looking photos up on my instagram (@polefitmommy) and I get likes from all over the place, other people taking part in the 12 week challenge.

In fact I’m going to give you one of the delicious recipes I made yesterday morning, it was surprisingly delicious. I was skeptical when I saw what it looked like, but at that first bite I was hooked. Even though it’s not in my meal plan I will be making it again sometime this week, it’s just too good not to!

Good morning lovely followers! I always look forward to this time of the morning. I get to just sit here with my tea and talk your ears off, or eyes in this case.

Last night was pole class, and it was a great class. My actual teacher just got back from the Dominican and she won’t be back until next Wednesday, so we’ve had a sub. A fantastic woman who has this unnatural energy that drives you to work harder and preform more. So as you can imagine my muscles are very sore today, not to mention my trapezuis ( the muscle between your neck and shoulder) feels bruised, which means no shoulder mounting for a couple of days.

So here’s my shoulder mount! It’s still a little sloppy but I’m very impressed with myself. At one point this was something that I never thought I’d be able to do.

I saw the girls doing it and I stood there whining in my head “I want to do that, I want to be able to flip upside down with such ease”

I kept at it, worked on my core, my arms and my general strength and look at me now!

I’m telling you, less than a year ago I wouldn’t be able to do half of this. I could barely do a push up! And now look at me!

But with a hard practice comes some nasty looking bruises.

And these are just the one leg, I’ve got more on my other leg, not to mention the tops of my feet as well! These ones were from doing the dead lift from handstand, cross ankle release and super girl.

Another exciting moment of last night was that I let go and went into the cross ankle release by myself. For the past couple of weeks I’ve had to have the help of my teachers to help me lay back just out of sheer fear of letting go of the pole.

But last night I laid out the crash mats they have and that gave me the lady balls I needed to let go on my own. That’s also the first time I’ve ever used crash mats, I guess I’ll be trying them out more when ever I’m scared. I really didn’t think it would be that much of a help, but it gave me just enough confidence to try a scary move out.

I’m going to take a moment now to praise an amazing pole product. If you live in a cold and dry climate like Canada, you know how much of a toll it can take on your skin. This in turn makes it near impossible to grip a pole, even a brass pole! It’s not so much my hands that I worry about, if I give them a quick wash before pole that’s usually enough to give me grip, and if that doesn’t work I have my liquid grip. The liquid grip is like a liquid that dries to a chalky consistency, it’s main use is for sweaty hands, just like if you were to use chalk in gymnastics.

My legs are the main worry, the liquid grip works on them, but only briefly. I honestly thought it was going to be impossible to pole in the winter. I use a regimen of coconut oil and vitamin E oil on my legs nightly (I’ll post a blog later on about the miracle of coconut oil) in hopes of helping my skin to not dry out. And while it does help, it’s really not enough.

That’s when I came across this!

Dewpoint Pole grip! It’s amazing, it’s super helpful, although I do find I have to reapply half way through class, that’s a small price to pay for such good grip when I need it.

Word of warning, do not get this on your hands. I’m not sure why but it makes it nearly impossible to grip if it gets on your hands. I don’t know if it’s a mixture of the dewpoint and sweat but just remember, rub your legs together to rub it in, and then you have to let it air dry for 1-5 minutes. I usually give it somewhere in between that.

The spray comes in three sizes, I have the middle one because it’s kind of expensive but again totally worth it. If your studio doesn’t sell it (You should probably convince them to) you can buy it online!
If you’re living in the states you can get it off of amazon.com, if you’re from Canada you can get it off of Ebay. They were really good for shipping on time and it got here quickly.